Nepal’s much delayed peace process which began in 2006 with end of the decade long civil war has finally reached conclusion.
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The end came on Friday with dissolution of the Special Committee entrusted with supervision, integration and rehabilitation of thousands of Maoist combatants who had given up arms.
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“The committee has been dissolved and with it the peace process has ended,” committee member and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) leader Bhim Rawal told journalists.
The tenure of the committee which came into existence in 2008 as per Nepal’s interim constitution to act as a transitional mechanism for overseeing the Maoist combatants ended on Saturday.
The final meeting of the committee chaired by former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai has asked the government to conduct an audit of the expenses incurred on the Maoist rebels and their camps.
Discrepancies in the total number of Maoist combatants when the peace deal was signed and in subsequent years have led to allegations that huge amounts were embezzled in names of fictitious rebels.
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The total number of Maoist rebels in 2006 was listed as 19,602. Since 2011 when the peace process picked momentum 15,610 opted for retirement with cash benefits and six opted for rehabilitation.
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The total number of Maoist rebels in 2006 was listed as 19,602. Since 2011 when the peace process picked momentum 15,610 opted for retirement with cash benefits and six opted for rehabilitation.
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Nearly 1,400 of them are at present undergoing training to join the Nepal Army and 47 who had earlier got selected to join the defence forces have sought permission to leave.
Since over 2,000 Maoist rebels were found ‘missing’, most members of the special committee have sought a thorough auditing of expenses.
The committee decided to provide compensation of NRs 2.55 lakh (Rs. 1,59,000) to the 47 Maoists who have opted to leave training for integration into Nepal Army midway.
It was also decided to entrust Lieutenant General (retired) Balananda Sharma the task of coordinating with government agencies till training of the Maoists to be integrated into Nepal Army is over.
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.
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